USC Transportation to Catalina Island

The USC Wrigley Institute offers daily boat transportation, Monday through Thursday, from the mainland to the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island. This service is available at no charge to the following:

  • Current USC faculty, staff and students
  • USC Associates
  • Members of the Friends of the Wrigley Institute (FOWI)
  • Retired USC faculty and staff
  • Invited guests of current USC faculty and staff

The boat to the USC campus on Catalina Island departs from the Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI) on Terminal Island in San Pedro (south of Los Angeles, north of Long Beach). The route to SCMI can be hard to follow for anyone who is unfamiliar with the area, so allow extra time if you are making your first trip there.

This transportation service is governed by USC policies and regulations of the U.S. Coast Guard. Please read the following list for important details.

  • The boat service is offered daily from Monday through Thursday, but this schedule can be subject to change.
  • The typical times of departure are 7:30 a.m. for the trip from San Pedro to the Wrigley Marine Science Center and 3:30 p.m. for the return trip from the science center to San Pedro. For the morning trip to Catalina Island, please arrive at SCMI in San Pedro by 7:00 a.m. to allow ample boarding time.
  • Travel time is roughly two hours and 30 minutes one way.
  • Advance reservations are required. (The vessel has a maximum capacity of 20 passengers.)
  • The boat leaves on time, with or without all passengers listed on the vessel's manifest. Please plan on boarding 30 minutes before the scheduled departure.
  • Closed-toed shoes are mandatory for all passengers aboard USC vessels. Anyone wearing open-toed footwear, such as sandals, will not be permitted to board.
  • Smoking and consumption of alcohol are prohibited aboard USC vessels.

To arrange for transportation, please send a message by email to: wiesboat@usc.edu.

For other information regarding the USC boat service, call Denise Grills at the Wrigley Marine Science Center at (310) 510-4090.

For more information about the USC boat schedule, check the transportation section of the online calendar for the Wrigley Marine Science Center. For commercial transportation options, please see the listing to the right under "Spotlight."

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Spotlight

Commercial transportation to Catalina Island

Three commercial ferry services and one helicopter service provide transportation between the California mainland and Catalina Island. All of them provide service to the tourist destination of Avalon. However, service is less regular to the mid-island community of Two Harbors, where the Wrigley Marine Science Center is located.

When you work with a ticket agent to arrange transportation from the mainland to the Wrigley Marine Science Center, be sure to confirm that your reservation is for travel to Two Harbors and not to Avalon. It is possible to reach Two Harbors from Avalon by land, but the two communities are about 25 miles apart and travel between them can be difficult.

Getting to Catalina Island by ferry

Catalina Express offers service to Two Harbors from San Pedro. (It also offers service to Avalon from San Pedro and three other locations on the mainland.) Starting in October 2009 and continuing until April 1, 2010, the Catalina Express only offers service to Two Harbors from its landing in downtown Long Beach. For more information, call (800) 481-3470.

The Catalina Flyer serves Avalon from the Balboa Pavilion at 400 Main Street in Balboa (near Newport Beach). For more information, call (949) 673-5245.

The Catalina-Marina del Rey Flyer serves both Avalon and Two Harbors from its dock in Fisherman's Village at 13737 Fiji Way in Marina del Rey. For more information, call (310) 305-7250.

Getting to Catalina Island by helicopter

Island Express Helicopter Service serves Avalon from heliports at 1175 Queens Highway in Long Beach and at Berth 95 in San Pedro. The company serves Two Harbors with charter flights for up to five people. Charter flights to Two Harbors can be scheduled from either Long Beach or San Pedro between 8 a.m. and sunset. (The helicopter service does not fly after dark.) For more information, call (800) 228-2566.

Getting around Catalina Island by bus

The Santa Catalina Island Company operates the Safari Bus which links the City of Avalon with the village of Two Harbors. The Safari Bus runs daily throughout the summer months. For more information, call (310) 510-2800.